Billy Bragg » Tracks » A New England

Billy Bragg – A New England (2:14)

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About This Track

“A New England” is a song by Billy Bragg that was successfully covered by Kirsty MacColl in 1984. Produced by her then-husband Steve Lillywhite, the song was her biggest solo hit - reaching #7 in the UK charts and #8 in Ireland.

Bragg’s original version of the song, included on his album Life’s a Riot with Spy Vs Spy, had only two verses. MacColl thought the song was too short, and so Bragg wrote a further two verses for her, which she consolidated into one. Since MacColl’s death, Bragg has included the additional verse in performances of the song as a tribute.

According to the A New England Songfacts, Bragg’s original version was first played by influential BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel because Bragg heard him lamenting on air that he’d do anything for a vegetable curry. The inventive Bragg sped to Radio 1 with a copy of his mini-album and a curry. Peel proceeded to play the track at the wrong speed.

The opening lines of the song (“I was 21 years when I wrote this song/I’m 22 now, but I won’t be for long”) are identical to the opening lines of Paul Simon’s song “Leaves That Are Green,” which appears on Simon and Garfunkel’s 1966 album Sounds Of Silence. In concert, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, on 27 September 2006, Bragg stated that Simon and Garfunkel had a strong influence on him, and that he took the line from their song intentionally.

Bragg says that the song had its origins in seeing two satellites flying alongside each other. Searching for romantic inspiration, he had to make do with “space hardware”.
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Albums featuring this track

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  • hanstone

    Gear!

    February 2012

  • f_k_o_s

    Simply brilliant -.-

    August 2011

  • whuts

    Top tune.

    July 2011

  • weegee64

    i'm twenty two now, but i won't be for long

    July 2011

  • starfloka

    still good

    July 2011

  • PrettyStar

    всё гениальное просто

    April 2011

  • i-listen

    it is unbelievable what this song means to me. I can`t believe it myself how much this changed my life and the way I looked at the world ever after. This was the first song of BB and it was the start of listening hours and hours to the others. Life's A Riot With Spy vs Spy!

    February 2011

  • unspeakablerx

    i can't survive on what you send everytime you need a friend... ladies need to pay attention to that line

    January 2011

  • Jens33

    a classic!!!!

    October 2010

  • postshanna

    austin 2007!!!!

    October 2010

  • RichInNC

    I feel like this song is the story of my life. Of course, there are about 10 Billy Bragg songs I can say that about. I love him for always singing Kirsty's extra verse when he plays this one now.

    September 2010

  • RDMcNamara

    'I just feel sad about letting you know....'

    February 2010

  • owneroperator

    i saw two shooting stars last night...

    February 2010

  • rubysparkles

    What fantastic related tracks. This is my most played song. :)

    January 2010

  • Aldi6Lidl

    me too

    September 2009

  • weebly

    Takes me right back to being a teenager!

    September 2009

  • keltoi21

    I'm not looking for a New England...this song is awesome......

    September 2009

  • imaginaryangie

    Ah, such love! "I wish, I wish, I wish you cared..." <3

    August 2009

  • AndyAussemForum

    best!

    July 2009

  • sparklecrunch

    Red Wedge..man, not heard that in a few years!! Billy rocks :)

    July 2009
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